After another lifeless loss, Arizona Cardinals must turn to the future

by Dan Bickley, columnist - Dec. 5, 2010 10:25 PMThe Arizona Republic

The Cardinals are becoming pointless.

It shows on the scoreboard, where the team hasn't posted a meaningful touchdown since the middle of November. It shows in the stadium, where empty seats are beginning to multiply like weeds.

It showed in a ridiculous scene late in a lifeless 19-6 loss to the Rams on Sunday, when a toxic crowd began to hum with excitement. The training staff was attempting to pop Max Hall's shoulder back into place.

Rookie John Skelton inched onto the field, calling over the center to practice a few snaps. And when the last untested rookie quarterback on the roster finally took over the offense, the crowd stood on its feet, going bonkers over a third-stringer.

It surely will be the last standing ovation of the season.

"I did hear the crowd stand up and make some noise," Skelton said.

In the end, the outcome was no different. The game was awful, almost unwatchable. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said he was obviously disappointed, made a vow to skeptical fans ("Hang with us. We're going to get it right.") and then went to kiss his wife. The routine has been almost the same for seven consecutive weeks.

"Painful," running back Tim Hightower said. "It hurts. God, it hurts. I hate losing. I can speak for the rest of my teammates: We hate losing. Three and nine? That's nine losses. It sucks."

Still, an important transition might have transpired Sunday, especially if Whisenhunt finally has pulled the plug on Derek Anderson.

Have you ever seen a quarterback erode over the course of a game like Anderson? The Cardinals posted 125 yards of offense in the first quarter, and by the game's end, the team still had managed only a pair of field goals.

Have you ever seen a quarterback excite a defense more than the diminutive Hall? When he replaced Anderson, it was like throwing chum over the side of a boat near Seal Island. The sharks were circling in moments, and in five passes, Hall was sacked three times, intercepted once and dislocated his shoulder while recovering his own fumble.

"I was just starting to settle down, feel comfortable," Hall said. "I completed a ball and we got a first down. We were running the ball well, and for that to happen, it's just unfortunate."

Hall is a hard-nosed kid. His ambition and his valor should be commended. But it's becoming painfully obvious that he is not the answer for this or any other team, and that his physical shortcomings likely will prevent him from being a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Yet Skelton, who estimated he's had "probably eight plays all season" with the first team, did just enough to stoke the dying fire of optimism. He's big in the pocket. He can throw the ball downfield. He looks the part. He was not overwhelmed in his first taste of real NFL action.

He looked a lot better than Whisenhunt led fans to believe in previous assessments.

"I think he did a good job coming in," wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "You know, (he gave us) the first third-down (conversion) we had all day. He came in poised, and had some good huddle presence, so I was encouraged by the way he handled himself today."

More important, Skelton didn't embarrass himself, which should allow Whisenhunt to start the Fordham product when the team next convenes in Glendale.

"I don't know right now, to be honest with you," Whisenhunt said. "Something's got to change. We're going to look at it and see."

Sorry. At this point, all illusions have been shattered. The coach will post his first losing season in 2010, guaranteed. Clearly, Anderson will not be with this team next season. And losing to the Rams for the first time in the Whisenhunt era seemed to emphasize that the run and the fun is over, at least in the short term.

As a result, the coach can drop the rhetoric about serving his veteran players and giving his team the best chance to win. He can focus on developing the only quarterback on his team with a chance to start in 2011.

"I wasn't too nervous," Skelton said.

"I was about as nervous as a third-string quarterback going into his first action could be."

It didn't show, and clearly, Skelton's skills should be explored over the final four weeks of the season. With a rising credibility problem and interest in the team starting to wane, it's the only way to keep the mob happy and engaged.